We are not saying that all of these NHL teams will win or we think they can win the Stanley Cup. However, in this article, we cover one reason it is TECHNICALLY possible for each team to win. With that in mind let’s get right into it.
Hockey
17 min read
0
One Reason Each NHL Team Could Win the 2021 Stanley Cup
963 days ago
Share this news
Copy link
Stanley Cup Contenders
The Capitals are still in their Stanley Cup window with the core of the team together, though Braden Holtby is missing. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J Oshie, and more. All in all, the core is together.
With Artemi Panarin and others, the Rangers have a potent offense and this could give them a shot. Alexis Lafreniere is a rookie that could help the likes of Panarin who could help the Rangers try to contend for a Stanley Cup.
This offense is playing good enough to get you to, and win a Stanley Cup. The team is in its Stanley Cup window right now and sits over their rivals in the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Islanders backend is the key here. Both the defense and goaltending are stellar and thus comes the way overused saying "defense wins championships".
The Sabres have a few talented players in Jack Eichel, Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, and Jeff Skinner. Obviously, this is one of those situations that are less likely but we are covering every team here.
Tuukka Rask is one of the best goaltenders in the league and certainly good enough to win a Stanley Cup. With Rask in net, the Bruins Stanley Cup Finals chances are elevated for sure.
This one is tough. Any team can get hot and if the Devils do so at the right times for long enough there is always a chance.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins still have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin who are both great talents. They have and can lead a team to Stanley Cup victories.
A lot of the players from the Stanley Cup run in 2019 are still around. Such as Jordan Binnington, Ryan O"Reilly, etc. This team is still in its cup window.
The Sharks have Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. A duo that has been dynamic before could be again and help get the Sharks to victory but this is hard to see.
Miracles can happen. If the Red Wings line of Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, and Anthony Mantha can continue to grow together, the team may be able to sneak into the playoffs. From there, anything can happen.
The offense is one of the best in the league and that is always something to be proud of and that’s my reason here. New general manager Bill Zito brought in five new faces to the team.
The Ducks have a primer talent in John Gibson. Now, he has been washed up a bit as of late he has been a great goalie in his career as a whole. Therefore, goaltending could help with a run.
Cam Talbot played well during the NHL playoffs this last year with the Calgary Flames. He is now with the Wild and he could go on a hot streak in the playoffs, assuming the Wild make it. Of course, more would have to go right than just Talbot but he is certainly a reason.
Perhaps Drew Doughty? The Kings are in rebuild mode but perhaps if some of the remaining pieces turn it on the Kings could "technically" have a shot.
Matt Murray is a Stanley Cup champion and could potentially be successful. Brady Tkachuk and rookie Tim Stützle would need to have a historic season to get the Senators into the playoffs.
When you spend that much money in the NHL on three players they had better be outstanding. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares could finally lead the Leafs to the promised land regardless of how likely or unlikely that is.
Calgary Flames
You have to like the move for Jacob Markstrom this offseason and he is a reason enough to keep you moving to the glorious Stanley Cup.
Holy cow, this team is not the same one of years past. Basically, if the Canadiens just keep doing what they are doing now, they have a real shot at a cup. So the name of the game is will they keep this up or not.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Does more need to be said? Of course, you need more than three players but for a reason, there it is.
Despite losing some pieces the Canucks still have a good amount of their core that got them to the second round of the 2020 playoffs, it is a possibility that the core shows up in the playoffs. The team did not make any substantial moves to add to their young core.
With an awful defense last year Connor Hellebuyck won the NHL"s Vezina Trophy. Yes, you read that correctly, even with a garbage defense, Hellebuyck won the Vezina. A fantastic goaltender and a good question to ask is what would happen if he had a Dallas Stars level defense behind him.
Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau help lead a top ten offense in goals for per game this year so far and last year"s number six in that category. Teams always want to be scoring goals and when it comes to that the Panthers know what they are doing.
After winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 there is no reason the Lightning can’t do it again with the core of the team intact. The Lightning truly a highly talented roster.
Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros could get hot, though I wouldn’t expect this in the playoffs. It is possible as Rinne helped them get to one years ago against the Penguins.
Some may expect to hear about the defense or the goaltending and those are valid points but actually, the new acquisitions in Patrick Laine and Max Domi plus an increased offensive performance from the Jackets could spell the difference between success and failure. The missing piece here is an offense. Solve that and a cup may be in your future.
Patrick Kane…….one forward isn’t enough so maybe leadership through him can get it done although very unlikely. It is more likely that Chicago is battling Detroit for the best chances to pick first in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
An irritatingly good Hurricanes defense owned a solid Rangers offense in the 2020 playoffs and if they continue here in 2021 this can really give Carolina"s goaltending some support. So the Hurricanes defense is the reasoning here.
The Coyotes have a great goaltending combination in Darcey Kuepmer and Antti Raanta. The rest of the team, specifically in the scoring category is concerning but that is for the next article.
Once again, goalies are what the reference will be. Robin Lehner is one of the better goaltenders in the NHL and they have Marc-Andre Fleury as their backup and the Golden Knights are off to a hot start. Nothing like having a solid guy in the net for the Golden Knights.
In years past the Stars have been a defense and goalie based organization. Not saying that is not the case now, however, the scoring is now finding a home in Dallas as well. Last year that scoring helped get them to the Finals. There is no reason that this can’t happen again. Other than the fact that they were there last year and it is hard to get there back to back.
main image credit
Liked what you read?
Share this article
Related Articles
